Condiment dispenser



March 6, 1962 c. A. JOHNSON 3,023,938

CONDIMENT DISPENSER Filed Feb. 24, 1959 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 4 I I 5 a s s I I I I a a a I I 2 I I 'I'I'I'IIIIII II'III'I'I INVENTOR W CLARKNU: A. lounsou BY Wz? ATTORNEY United States This invention relates to a dispensing receptacle and particularly to an improved condiment dispenser for items such as salt and pepper. It is a primary object of this invention to provide a condiment dispenser which can be easily filled, and easily cleaned.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a condiment dispenser with an enlarged filling opening, whose top surface is coextensive with the cover.

Another object is to provide a condiment dispenser for home use, which has constructional features which permit easy manufacture and provide structural rigidity and a pleasing design.

Another object of this invention is to provide a twopiece condiment dispenser which can be quickly opened for filling or cleaning.

Still a further object is the provision of a condiment dispenser having a plurality of dispensing openings which are easily accessible'and easily cleaned.

Still a further object is the provision of a grooved dispensing cover which is snap positioned on the receptacle case.

These and other objects will become apparent upon a full consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawing which illustrate the invention herein.

In the drawing forming a part hereof:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of my condiment dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a cross section thereof taken approximately at the longitudinal center line thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the condiment dispenser with the cover in place;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the underside of the cover, showing the dispensing grooves at one end thereof;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse cross section taken on the lines 55 of FIG. 3, showing the cover in place and the disposition of the dispensing grooves; and

FIG. 6 is an end view of the cover member showing the dispensing grooves.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a container or case 10 of suitable plastic. The case 10 has a front wall 11, a rear wall 12 and two side walls 13 which intersect with each other and the recessed bottom 19 with generous radii to provide a pleasing appearance and structural rigidity. Front wall 11 is of greater heighth and less width than rear wall 12 and both front wall 11 and rear wall 12 taper slightly outward from bottom to top. This is best illustrated in FEGURE 2. Stated otherwise, the walls of the case 10 taper slightly outward from the bottom to the top, thereby providing an increasing cross sectional area as the top of the case It is approached.

Front wall 11 has disposed therein near the top thereof an elongated aperture 14, which is cooperable with the resilient cover 20 as will be described hereinafter. The lower portions of the Walls 11, 12 and 13 terminate in an inner peripheral shoulder 15 which is located near the top of the case 10. The rear wall 12 is formed with a centrally disposed slot 16 at the top extremity thereof. The portion of the rear wall 12 at the slot 16 is on the same plane as the inner peripheral shoulder, and the bottom surface of the elongated aperture 14 is also located in the same plane. Extending rearwardly from "ice the rear wall 12 immediately below the slot 16 is a transverse bead 17 which is employed in securing the cover to the case. The portion of the front, rear and side walls which extends above the inner peripheral shoulder 15 is designated as the upper wall 18.

In FIGURE 4 is represented a resilient closure member or cover 20. The shape of the cover 20 corresponds generally to the top of the case 10 immediately above the peripheral shoulder 15, except at the front and rear portions which have extensions which will be described hereinafter. The front portion of the cover has an outwardly extending tongue or dispensing lip 21 which fits closely into the elongated aperture 14 in the front wall 11 so as to substantially fill it. The rear of the flexible cover 20 has a latch extension 22 formed thereon, with a downwardly extending lip 2211 which is engageable over the transverse bead 17 when the cover is attached. The normal resiliency of the flexible cover 20 permits the downwardly extending lip 22:; to be urged out of contact with the transverse head 17, and the cover can then be lifted upwardly from the case so as to withdraw the dispensing lip 21 from the elongated aperture 14. It can thus be seen that the filling opening for the condiment dispenser is coextensive with the top opening therein, thereby providing easy access for filling or cleaning.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 we observe the undersurface of the flexible lid or cover 20. Formed at the front end thereof and extending into the dispensing 'lip 21 are a plurality of dispensing grooves 23. These grooves are generally semi-cylindrical and are parallelly disposed along the longitudinal axis of the dispenser. The grooves 23 extend inwardiy well past the front wall 11 and are thereby in immediate communication with the receptacle portion of the condiment dispenser. Because the grooves are semi-cylindrical in construction, they are easily cleaned and the user does not meet the difiiculties often encountered in dispensers where circular holes are employed. In the old type of dispensers the granular substance being dispensed often becomes clogged and it is necessary to employ a tapered instrument to disengage accumulated material from the individual opening. In applicants device the case is easily washed and the cover member can also be washed and the dispensing grooves cleared without undue effort. Any accumulation of material can be readily removed because of the easy access to the dispensing grooves 23.

Other types of dispensers known in the art employ complex plunger mechanisms which can be easily clogged and the instrument rendered inoperable because the Working parts of the dispenser are not readily accessible. Also, as has been pointed out many of the present day dispensers have only small filling openings and are therefore difiicult to use.

It is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the specific details of construction shown and described but includes all modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

I claim:

1. A condiment dispenser comprising an outer case having front, rear, side and bottom walls, the front wall of said case having a rectangular aperture formed therein near the top thereof, the rear wall of said case having a notch along its upper periphery with a transverse bead disposed immediately therebelow and extending outward from the outer surface thereof, a shoulder disposed along the inner periphery of said case near the top thereof, a resilient cover member engageable with said shoulder and the inner surface of the walls of said case and positioned in spaced relation from the open top of said case, an extending lip on the forward edge of said cover member engageable within the aperture in the front wall of said case, the undersurface of said cover having a plurality of parallelly disposed dispensing grooves formed therein extending inwardly from the outer edge of said extending lip beyond the thickness of said front wall, and a latch member formed on the rear edge of said cover member engageable within the notch in the rear wall of said case and cover the transverse bead thereon.

2. A salt or pepper shaker comprising an outer case having front, rear, side, and bottom walls and an open top, the front wall of said case having a discharge chute disposed therein near the top thereof, a shoulder extending along the inner periphery of said case near the top thereof, a resilient cover engageable with said shoulder, said cover having a tongue member insertable into the discharge chute of said case, a plurality of parallelly disposed dispensing raceways formed in the under surface of said cover, said raceways providing communication from the inside of said case through the discharge chute formed in the front wall thereof, and cooperable fastening means formed on the rear of said cover and the outer surface of the rear wall of said case to releasably hold said cover in place.

3. A condiment dispenser comprising a hollow casing, said casing havin an elongated aperture therein near the top thereof, a transverse bead disposed on the outer surface of said casing opposite the aperture therein, a shoulder disposed around the inner periphery of said casing in spaced relationship from the top thereof, a resilient cover member coextensive with the top of said casing and recessed therein for seating engagement on said shoulder, an extending lip on one edge of said cover engageable within the aperture in said casing, the under surface of said cover and said lip having a plurality of parallel dispensing grooves formed therein extending from within said casing through the aperture to the outer surface of said casing, and a latch member formed on the rear edge of said cover member engageable over the transverse head on said casing.

4. A dispensing case for granular material having bottom, side, front and rear walls, the front wall being of greater elevation than the rear wall and the top edge of the side Walls being tapered and integrally joined to the front and rear wall, the front Wall having a rectangular aperture therein in spaced relation from its top edge and the rear wall having a notched portion along its upper edge; a bead member extending outward from the 'outer facing surface of the rear Wall of said case adjacent the notched portion therein; a flange extending along the inner periphery of said case in spaced relation from the top edge of the side, front and rear Walls; a flexible cover substantially parallel with the bottom wall of said case recessed therein and seated on said flange in spaced relation from the top of the case, the leading edge of said cover having a tongue extending in tight engagement through the rectangular aperture of the front wall of said case, the cover further having raceways on the bottom surface thereof extending from the leading edge of said tongue rearward over the interior of said case to allow granular material to pass therealong out of said case when manually tilted; and a clasp integrally formed along the trailing edge of said cover extending down around said head and flexibly cooperable with the bead to engage said cover in position.

5. A device for dispensing granular material comprising a hollow case open at the top and having an aperture in its forward surface, the upper edge of the rear of said case having a notched portion and a bead extending outwardly from its outer facing surface adjacent the notched portion; a flexible cover recessed Within the case in spaced relation from the top edge thereof, a portion of the leading edge of said cover extending through the aperture in the forward surface of said case and having a series of raceways on the under surface thereof to provide a dispensing conduit for the flow of granular materials from the interior of said case out through the aperture; and depending clasp means integrally joined to the rear of said cover to engage the bead on the outer surface of the rear wall of said case.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 181,777 Dunlap et al Sept. 5, 1876 905,261 Williamson Dec. 1, 1908 1,689,641 Pickles Oct. 30, 1928 1,714,368 Hobson May 21, 1929 1,941,051 Punte Dec. 26, 1933 2,041,024 Rueger May 19, 1936 2,612,292 Von Duyke Sept. 30, 1952 

